1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trailer jacks and more particularly to a trailer jack support for underlying and extending the effective length of the jack and including hanger arms for supporting the device in a stored travel position.
It is common practice to connect a jack-type device to the tongue of a trailer, such as a camper trailer, for supporting the trailer tongue in spaced relation with respect to the surface of the earth when the camper trailer is parked for the purpose of leveling the camper trailer. The jack device generally comprises a vertical housing connected with the trailer tongue above the upper limit thereof and includes an extendible plunger selectively moved vertically to an extended ground engaging position when leveling the trailer and to an upward retracted position when the trailer tongue is attached to a towing vehicle. Since the load bearing area of the jack plunger is relatively small, some support means must be provided for the lower end thereof to prevent the plunger being forced into the surface of the earth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past a caster-type wheel unit has been connected with the depending surface of a trailer tongue to support the latter when the trailer is parked, however, this type of support has been generally unsatisfactory for the reason that the wheel tends to roll, if on an inclined surface, and the load bearing surface of the wheel is relatively small and tends to sink into soft ground. The above described trailer jack units have recently come into general use and it is general practice to provide one, or a plurality, of wooden planks or blocks to underlie the depending end of the jack plunger. However, this has the disadvantage that these block units are not easily and conventiently stored for travel and, by age and weathering, tend to deteriorate and eventually crack or split.
The most pertinent prior patent is my U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,249 which discloses a trailer jack foot effectively extending the length of the jack and includes a self-storing feature formed by a pair of superposed U-shaped hangers for engaging flanges attached to the jack.
The principal distinction of this invention over this patent is the elimination of the flanges which must be connected with the jack housing and its extendible member for positioning the jack foot in supporting or stored relation with respect to the jack.